Jennifer Shirk's Blog, page 28

Book Tour Fun!

Hey, all!

This week begins my virtual book tour for my new Avalon release Sunny Days for Sam!

I will be at various blogs along the week. But here's where I'll be today:

Cocktails and Books 
(where I'm talking about the pros and cons of writing children into your romance novels

and

Rogue's Angels 
(where I'm being interviewed)


***I will be giving away a print copy of Sunny Days for Sam (US/Canada only -- an eBook copy of Role of a Lifetime will be substituted as prizes for any international winners) to TWO randomly drawn commenters throughout the tour.
So the more places you comment, the better your chance to win!***

Sunnyva "Sunny" Fletcher is a firm believer in fairy tales. With the recent debt she's acquired, the hope of something magical happening in her life is the only thing keeping her going. She needs a job fast. So when Sunny learns the sexy new vacationer in town is looking for a nanny, she starts to believe she just may have a fairy godmother after all!

Internet guru Sam Calloway is only in town for the summer and needs a nanny for his two small children. However, the beautiful and inexperienced Sunny is not exactly the kind of caregiver Sam has in mind. It doesn't take long for Sunny's tenderhearted and bubble-blowing ways to soon have the children—and Sam—enamored with her. She's a dream come true. But after what Sam's been through, he's stopped believing in fairy tales long ago.

Sunny manages to work her way into Sam's closed-off heart, but at the end of the summer, will the workaholic dad go back to his life in New York City, or will he decide his days are much sunnier here with Sunny?

On a side note: the kiddo's birthday is today, and she's turning DOUBLE DIGITS!!!! Woo-hoo!
We'll be dining at the Rainforest Cafe tonight. :-)

Friday Favorites #5

Happy Friday, all!

Before I get to my Friday Favorite, I want to thank Sandra Orchard for appearing on my humble blog and also I want to announce the winner of her new romance suspense book,
SHADES OF TRUTH.

And the lucky ducky winner is.... Robyn Campbell!

Congrats!!
Please email me at jennifer AT jennifershirk DOT com and we'll get it out to you!

~~~~~
In other less exciting news, my Friday Favorite this week is a picture. In case you were wondering where I was last week, I was in sunny Florida! We stayed at the Hyatt Coconut Vacation Club in Bonita Springs. It was VERY nice.

But I think the nicest part my kiddo enjoyed was the huge jacuzzi tub.
She begged to take a bubble bath every night in it--even though she spent all day in water at the pool! So I put just a little bit of shampoo then turned on the jets and...

I give you, my favorite picture of the week:


LOL!

Have a GREAT weekend!
(And tune in next week when my blog tour-book giveaway fun (or not so fun) begins) :)

"Shades of Truth"--and a Giveaway!

Hey, all! 
I'm so super excited to have Love Inspired author Sandra Orchard with me today!
She's here to talk about her start in writing for that particular Harlequin line and her new book out: Shades of Truth.
So...please meet Sandra:
Sandra Orchard lives in rural Ontario, Canada where inspiration abounds for her romantic suspense novels set in the fictional Niagara town she's created as their backdrop. Married with three grown children, when not writing, she enjoys hanging out with family, brainstorming new stories with fellow writers, and walking her dog in God's beautiful creation. She loves to connect with readers, and has created "novel extras" to enhance readers' experience of her books.
Mylove affair with Harlequin's Love Inspired romance began while on vacation. Aused bookstore clerk introduced me to the then Steeplehill line. It had neveroccurred to me that Christian romance would be up front in those Harlequin racks. Gasp!
I readthat first book in one night. I loved that I could read it in one—albeitlong—sitting. Before long I'd bought out the LI books from every used bookstoreI came upon, so I became a subscriber. What fun! Four new novels deliveredright to my mailbox every month.
Observinghow characters grappled with many of the same emotions and issues I wasexperiencing inspired me in countless ways. The extra plotelements and faster pace won me over immediately.
I startedthinking that I'd enjoy writing books like these. After all, they say to writewhat you know, and I always have bad guys trying to do me in, and heart throbs trippingover themselves to go out with me.
Okay, I'm just kidding.
Actually, myhusband, tired of the piles of books lining every available shelf, suggested Istart writing instead. Little did he know what he'd gotten himself into!
My enthusiasmfor the Love Inspired line must have beamed through my first query, because theeditor requested the full. I was over the moon with excitement. Every book onwriting that I'd read had warned me to be prepared for rejection, and this wasmy very first query!
The requestcame on my birthday no less. That had to be a good sign, right?
Well, no. Therejection—as encouraging as it was—came six weeks later.
Not to bedeterred, I pressed on. I signed with an agent who urged me to add the romancethe editor had said was lacking. And I learned a new lesson—having an agentsimply means you get your rejections faster. Ugh!
But I wasdetermined to persevere. Of course, aside from my immediate family, no one knewabout my secret occupation. I'm okay with rejection, but it's easier to takewhen you don't have to explain it to well-meaning friends who don't understandthe publishing business.
My big breakcame in 2009 I won the Daphne DuMaurier contest.
The manuscriptthat won had already been rejected by a previous editor, but I met with LoveInspired's new editor, explained that I'd improved the story significantly andasked for permission to resubmit.
She didn't buythe book.
But…she readthe entire manuscript and explained exactly why it didn't suit their line. Andshe said she liked my writing. Yee!
I immediatelyapplied everything she told me to another manuscript and sent off the new andimproved version.
The rest, asthey say, is history.
Your Turn: What kind ofnovels do you like to read?
Thank you, Sandra! I LOVE hearing how authors begin their writing path!
Book Blurb for Shades of Truth, a March 2012 Love Inspired Suspense

Big citydetective Ethan Reed is working deep undercover at a Christian youth detentioncenter. The kind of place he spent some harrowing time in as a kid. Ethan'smission: ferret out who's recruiting resident teens for a drug ring. He expectshelp from the lovely, devoted director of Hope Manor. But Kim Corbett won'ttell Ethan anything— even when she's threatened and attacked. When Ethandiscovers what Kim is protecting, his guarded heart opens just a bit wider.Enough to make this the most dangerous assignment of his career.This isthe second book in Sandra's series, Undercover Cops:
 Fighting for justice putstheir lives—and hearts—on the line. Check out these and other resources for both readers andwriters at her website: http://www.SandraOrchard.com.For updates on new releases, special subscriber-only readsand giveaway opportunities, signup for her newsletter

She'd also love for you to connect on her Facebook Page andjoin in the conversations about characters on her blog

Shades of Truth is inbookstores this month, or click here to order directly from Harlequin, and use coupon code FREESHIPAFFO toreceive free shipping until Mar 31st.

GIVEAWAY: Sandra is generously offering a free EBOOK of her new Love Inspired Suspense book Shades of Truth to some lucky commenter. Anyone who comments here from now until Thursday, March 29 11:59pm EST will be entered to win. Winner will be announced here on Friday's blog.

Good luck!

MIA Monday

Yes, I'm MIA--missing in action-- today and the rest of this week. (Try not to miss me too much)

I'll be back Monday though--with a special guest and a giveaway!




In the meantime, enjoy my newly painted toenails...

Nobody get arrested while I'm gone. :)

Friday Favs #4

Types of Scones made this week: 2
Toenail color painted this week: Orange--AKA "Atomic Orange" by OPI


Hey, all!

I've got an interesting Friday Favorite of mine for this week. It's a condiment. I think it's a condiment... It could probably be known as a side dish in my house. We go through about 2 or 3 bottles in a month.
But I LOVE it!!!
And that is...
Hot sauce?
I mean, YES!! HOT SAUCE!
But not any old hot sauce... CHIPOTLE flavored hot sauce. (I happen to be addicted to the Tabasco brand one)

I put it on almost everything; scrambled eggs, chili, pizza, any Mexican dish I make, and sometimes I even sprinkle it straight on a tortilla chip instead of salsa. There is something about that chipotle flavor that I cannot get enough of. It makes my nose run like crazy but I don't care.

I used to be a Frank's Red Hot kind of gal, but after having this chipotle sauce, I can't go back.
Sorry, Frank. :(
You're still tasty though.

And that's my addiction, er..."fav" of the week! Try it--if you can handle the spice.
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In other news, I have a St. Patrick's Day party to go to on Saturday. I'm supposed to wear something green, but I decided to make something green instead: a lima bean dip. 
My hubby is horrified (obviously not a lima bean fan), but I think it will be quite tasty with some pita chips.
I'll let you know.

Have a great weekend!!

Do you like spicy food? Do you have a favorite condiment you put on everything?

Recommended Reads

Happy Monday! (If you're in to Mondays that is)

Considering the family and I have just finished stupendous books, I figured it a good time to share some worthy reads with you.

Sharing is caring. :)

First off, is a book the hubby just finished. (Non Fiction)  It's called BORN TO RUN : A Hidden Tribe, Super athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen BY Christopher McDougall 
If you're a runner, you need to read this book! It just may change the way you view running shoes.
From Goodreads:
Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world's greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.
As my hubby was reading this book, he kept sharing little insights he would learn. I found it really neat and I didn't even read the book! Check it out!

My kiddo has found a new series which she has been highly enjoying. (Middle Grade) The first in the series is Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute (Lunch Lady #1)  byJarrett J. Krosoczka
From Goodreads:
Serving justice . . . and lunch!Hector, Terrence, and Dee have always wondered about their school lunch lady. What does she do when she isn't dishing out the daily special? Where does she live? Does she have a lot of cats at home? Little do they know, Lunch Lady doesn't just serve sloppy joes—she serves justice! Whatever danger lies ahead, it's no match for LUNCH LADY!

The kiddo likes her humour. (Don't ask me where she gets that from) And I was so looking for something new for her to read. My local librarian recommended this to me and I gave them to the kiddo. She read two in a day. Nuff said.

And now me. (Young Adult) I just read   SWITCHED   by Amanda Hocking.

From Goodreads:
When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I knew the hype, but I don't usually agree with hyped books. But I won it on Goodreads a few months (probably MORE than a few months) ago. Finally, I got around to reading it. I'm so sorry I didn't start it sooner. I was hooked from the first sentence: " A couple of things made that day stand out more than any other: it was my sixth birthday, and my mother was wielding a knife."
Loved that!
She must have sprinkled crack cocaine in between the pages because I read it in two days, and now I can't wait to read the rest of the series. :)
One side note: For those who are sensitive, there is a choice word used in the book. It's the big one, but only used once and in a dire situation.

So those are the recommended reads form the Shirk household. Hope you get a chance to check some of them out!

Have any good reads to recommend?

When You Have a Window...

Hey, all!

I've been supercalifragilisticexpialidocious busy this week.
As a result, this post will be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious short.:)

I just wanted to share what I learned this week. And that is...

When you have a window, take it.

What does that mean? It means, I carefully planned all this writing time, and then I was presented with extra opportunities to write. But I wasted it, thinking I don't need that time because I planned my other time.
WRONGO. Because then all my carefully planned writing time got blown out of the water!

Thus, the lesson learned: when you have a window--for anything--don't waste it. Take it while you can get it, because life has a way of happening.

You're welcome. :)

Now I'm off to finish writing some blog posts for my upcoming blog tour coming up next month. And then I plan on trying out a scone recipe.

What are your plans today?

Having a Tea Party

Happy Monday, all!

I'm tired today because I've been doing research all weekend on "English Tea Parties".

I know. Of all things. But I'm a part of our Women's Ministry in our church and this year I was put in charge of the food. I'm never in charge of the food, but I do well in the "Martha" roles more than the "Mary" roles, so I'm sure I'll be fine.

We've decided to serve an English Tea after our program. Doesn't that sound fun? I thought so!

Here's what I have so far for the menu:

Finger sandwiches (cucumber, watercress, chicken salad, and... something else)
Scones (Not sure what kind yet)
Fresh strawberries or fruit salad
Petit Fours

And of course...TEA. :)

I even went to the craft store and decided to work on making some centerpieces for the table.
What do you think?

I cut the flowers and then put them in little Chinese takeout boxes and filled it with newspaper then covered it with fake dirt. I figured it looked... springy.
We'll see what the other ladies think. :)

I had all this time on my hands because...I finished editing and submitted the book I've been working on: Kissing Kendall.
It's off to the editor now. Whew! And yay!! 

So today, I get to finish plotting a new book (yay) and continue looking for recipes for the Afternoon Tea (not so yay)

How about you? Have you ever been to a tea party or hosted one? Anything else I should serve? Any good recipes to share? Help.

Friday Favorites 3!

Happy Friday, all!

I am sooooooooooo excited to share this week's Friday Favorite with you because it has become a...well, a favorite of mine. :)

I made this vegetarian recipe for the family and it was a huge hit. Seriously. It's scratch-your-eyes-out good. How often can you say that about a vegetarian recipe? (It's probably because of the cheese that's added to it, but who cares?)
Deal with it.


Vegetable Enchiladas

for the sauce:
1 tsp. canola oil1 onion, finely chopped3 cloves garlic, minced3 tbsp. chili powder (I am a spice pansy, so I started with 2 tbsp and added more from there)2 tsp. ground cumin2 tsp. sugar2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce½-¾ cup waterSalt and pepperfor the filling:
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed1 tbsp. canola oil1 medium onion, chopped1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine1 (8 oz.) zucchini, halved lengthwise, seeded and chopped3 cloves garlic, minced1½ cups enchilada sauce (above), divided1 cup finely crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese½ cup minced fresh cilantro¼ cup drained chopped canned green chiliesSalt and pepperfor assembly:
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas1 cup shredded cheddar cheeseLime wedges, for servingTo make the enchilada sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

To make the filling, preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Transfer half of the black beans to a bowl and mash with a fork until almost completely smooth. Set aside. Add the oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until slightly softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook just until tender, 3-5 minutes more. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the mashed beans and remaining whole beans and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the veggie mixture to a large bowl and stir in ½ cup of the enchilada sauce, the queso fresco, cilantro and green chilies. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble, briefly microwave the tortillas until warm and pliable, about 30 seconds. Place 1/3 cup of the filling mixture down the center of a tortilla. Tightly roll up the tortilla and place in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the enchiladas, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the top of the sauce. Cover with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, about 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes more.

Honestly, it looks like a lot of steps, but it's easy-peasy to make. I actually couldn't stop licking the bowl, I thought the filling was so tasty!!
PS. I used feta cheese, since that was all I could find.
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In other exciting news, my new romance SUNNY DAYS FOR SAM  just got put up on Goodreads and now is also up for a Goodreads giveaway.
If you're on Goodreads, don't forget to enter for a chance to win or add to My Shelf!
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Whew! And that's all from me today.

Have a great weekend!!

Party Pics

Happy Monday!

As some of you know from my Friday post, I had a 1920's Speakeasy Murder Mystery Party (try saying that 3 times fast) on Saturday night.
None of us had ever been to one before, but it was a lot of fun. We all had parts to read in order to discover who the murderer was.
(PS. A lot of people thought it was me. (Including me-ha!) But I was innocent)
Me("Torchy" was my part) in my mink. That's a fake cigarette by the way. I couldn't decide between that blue hat I'm wearing or a yellow one. When I asked the kiddo, she told me to wear the blue. When I asked her why, she said, "Because, Mommy, the blue one makes you look like...Peacock Cinderella."
(There are quite a few feathers in it) :-)

My friend on the left is actually wearing her great-grandmother's dress. And my friend on the right, well, it turns out that she was the murderer. :)
The whole gang dressed up.

Good times.

That party kind of took our neighborhood dine-around to a new level. I hope when it's our turn to host (On May 5th), people don't expect much more than a taco fixin' bar. LOL

Did you do anything fun this weekend?